Senior Specialist – Old Masters …mat cover with potential ..

The postholder will put on three sales in the 12 month period; the department curate nine sales a year in total, with dedicated sales in Old Masters, modern and post-war British, and 18th and 19th century British and European fine art, including watercolours, oils, prints and portrait miniatures.
Areas of Responsibility
Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:
Strategic and business development
Develop business contacts and strategic opportunities, including developing auction and private sales strategies
Identify and maintain relationships with all client categories (collectors, dealers, galleries etc), and particularly the ability to work with major clients in the consignments and sale of Old Master Paintings in the £500 to £5000 category and above
Liaise on material in the field with other internal departments: pre-press, marketing, public relations etc.
Proactively research and gather information into the marketplace/trends/buying & selling patterns
Liaise with the Head of Department to identify and grow the client base for sourcing and selling of Old Master Paintings

Valuations, cataloguing, pre and post-sale responsibilities

Respond to incoming walk-ins, written, phone and photo enquiries to determine sale potential
Arrange shipping for pre-sale consignments
Work alone and with colleagues to research Old Master Paintings to determine provenance, authenticity, value, condition, and marketability
Work with the photography team to coordinate photography
Catalogue consignments and work on the production and layout of the catalogue
Coordinate and drive pre-sale exhibition set-up, including displays
Work with buyers during sale week, to provide condition reports, and attend weekend exhibitions, to market and sell the sale
Work with the marketing and communications team, to help develop a coordinated marketing plan to achieve budgeted sale totals
Participate in telephone bidding with clients during the auction
Participate in the full after-sales analysis, and implement any agreed changes
General
Ensure compliance with all internal policies and procedures and any relevant external bodies or processes
Participate in organization-wide meetings, activities and processes, and develop internal contacts, networks and interactions as appropriate
Actively participate in events, valuation days, and other functions to represent the Auction House.
Carry out other duties as required by the Directors and Managing Directors
Person Specification
Essential qualifications skills and experience
A qualification relevant to paintings and fine art
Proven knowledge in the field of Old Master Paintings, gain both through study and work expereince
Experience in the field, preferably at auction, but also within the trade or at another relevant institution e.g. gallery or own business
Proven ability to develop relationships with the major collectors, dealers and galleries
Excellent writing skills in English, and ability to combine an understanding of the material with a commercial sense of marketing and promoting value
Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including first class spoken English
Ability to work to tight auction deadlines, balancing photography, cataloguing, sale organisation, marketing and promotional details
Experience working on projects of all sizes, long- and short-term; demonstrated ability to prioritise a variety of concurrent projects
Excellent knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook etc)
Ability to learn systems, with excellent IT proficiency
Superior customer service skills
Strong follow-up skills with attention to detail
Ability to thrive within a fast-paced team environment
For full role details and more information about the company contact Rose on 02033555699